As the world’s fifth largest car company with sales of over five million vehicles last year, Stellantis’ strategy can be seen as something of a bellwether for the automotive sector – making its departure from hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) technology significant.
The multinational firm, formed after the 2020 merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot Citroën, has said there is “no development prospect” for hydrogen cars and vans.
Citing “limited availability of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure” together with high development costs and no consumer incentives, Stellantis has ended production of current HFC models, and cancelled the launch of a new series of fuel-cell powered vehicles that had been due to begin this summer.
Governments across western Europe are set to mandate that only zero emission vehicles can be sold from new in a decade or so, and while hydrogen fuel cells emit only water as they separate electrons from hydrogen molecules to produce electricity, and so could be sold post ban, the technology brings with it significant cost.
Toyota has perhaps had the most success of all car companies that have experimented with HFCs, but while its Mirai is a working production car, the firm is thought to lose significant amounts of money on each model sold. Hydrogen filling stations, meanwhile, remain few and far between, with just five facilities open for cars across the UK.
But while hydrogen may not be seen by Stellantis as a practicable fuel for cars and vans, its application in larger vehicles such as trucks and trains could have potential in the future.
And it’s not just fuel cells where hydrogen can be used: combustion engines that burn the gas are also being considered as an alternative to petrol and diesel, with JCB the most prominent company to have endorsed this technology.
Announcing Stellantis’ retreat from hydrogen fuel cells, Jean-Philippe Imparato, the firm’s chief operating officer for Enlarged Europe, said the area remains “a niche segment, with no prospects of mid-term economic sustainability”, and that his company “must make clear and responsible choices” as it sets its course.
